Question

Discuss some practical benefits of DNA cloning. Please be thorough in your response

Answer 1

DNA cloning is produce number of copies of the same DNA molecule.

DNA is very important in cells because it has genes. Nucleotide sequences with which the DNA is formed make up the genes too. Small segments of the DNA called a gene help in synthesizing specific proteins. Genes have information for protein synthesis in the form of genetic code.

So, by cloning DNA we are cloning genes. After cloning, we can introduce them in to a vector like plasmid. The plasmid with foreign DNA is called recombinant plasmid. This recombinant plasmid is introduced in bacteria or a eukaryotic cells. WIth proper medium and conditions (temperature,pH etc)  maintained. required proteins can be produced by the cells in which the gene is introduced. We can produce lot of gene products in huge quantity. Number of molecules of biological significance are produced these days by gene cloning and introduction in to a cell. Some such molecules or proteins produced are Growth Hormone, Insulin etc

. The copies of genes created can also be used to study the function of genes by mutating the genes artificially. A gene clone can be mutated and introduced in to a cell and observe if the cell produces certain required product or not. This tells about the significance of the gene in the body.

Some times development of trreatment for a particular disease also needs gene cloning .They can be used to study effect of various pharmacologically important molecules to develop medicines.